Fence



(No Model.) Q

0 H. VAN WAGONER.

FENGE.

Patented Oct. 31, 1893..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. VAN WAGONER, OF HOMER, MICHIGAN.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,697, dated October 31, 1893.

Application filed May 7 1892.

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. VAN WAG- ONER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Homer, in the county of Calhoun, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fences; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fences, and more specifically to wire fences and posts therefor, and has for its object to provide afence simple and economical in its construction, and of superior utility.

The features of my invention embrace a novel construction of the posts to engage the wires, novel means for engaging the wires with the posts, novel means for tightening the wires, a construction and arrangement of parts whereby a drive way or gap may be formed in the fence at any desired point, a novel construction and engagement of pickets with the wires, and novel means for bracing the fence posts.

My invention also contemplates the general construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter specified and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 1s a detail view of the post H in horizontal section. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the post 0. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of tightening the wire. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in detail, showing the construction of the post 0. Fig.

. 7 is a similar view, illustrating the construc- Serial No. 452.126- (No model.)

elongated orifices as at c, and the adjacent ends of the wiresB are each severally united to a perforated fastening strip B, which may be made of band iron or other desired metal,-

and which is passed through one of the ori fices c in the post. A key I) is inserted in one of the perforations b' in the strip outside the post to hold the strip and its connected wire in place.

The post A is perforated or slotted as at a to allow the several wires to pass therethrough. To hold the adjacent ends of the wires in engagement with the post A, they may each be passed through the perforations thereof and their extremities be wound about a pin or other retaining device E. The wires, it will be understood are first engaged with the post A, and when strung the required distance are connected with the strips B respectively, the strips being passed through the post 0. When properly tightened the keys I) are engaged in the perforation of the strip adjacent to the outer face of the post thereby holding the Wire tight and firm. To tighten the Wires, an extra key D is inserted in one of the perforations of the strip and by means of a claw-hammer or other suitable instrument F leverage is exerted -to pull up the Wire as required. After which the key I) is inserted to hold the wire taut. The claw-hammer used for this purpose is preferably constructed with a recess at f toward the points of theclaws to more readily engage and hold the key D in pulling the wire fight. It will be observed that this construction and arrangement and the method thus employed for tightening the wires are very simple and efficient and readily and cheaply operated.

Should it be desired to loosen up the wires for any purpose as for purposes hereinafter explained, a key D may be inserted in the perforated strip, when by use of the clawhammer or analogous instrument, the wire may be drawn up so as to permit the release of its key I), and thus allow the wire to be slacked a desired distance.

G denotes a diagonal brace which may be employed adjacent to each of the end posts A and 0. Each of the braces may consist of a single, or a double bar extending from the top of the adjacent post inward and downward reaching the ground any desired distance from the base of the corresponding post.

The upper end of each of the braces G preferablyfits within the concaved portion of the post and is thereby prevented from lateral movement.

G denotes a diagonal brace rod engaged with the adjacent post, and with the correspondin g brace, toward their upper ends, whereby the post may be adjusted and held in an upright position. Tothis end the brace rod at its lower extremity may be passed through a suitable orifice in the post and fastened in any suitable manner, the upper end passed through the brace G, and held in place by a nut g having a screw-threaded engagement therewith.

To adjust the post in an upright position, as when it might be found to be leaning in either direction from any cause, the nut 9 may be tightened or loosened as the case demands.

At the foot the end post and its adjacent brace G are connected by a rod or wire preferably by a twisted wire, G2 suitably engaged at itsextremities to the post and the brace respectively.

After tightening up the strips B in the posts, should they be pulled through the post to their limit, without sufficiently tightening the wire, the wire could be shortened in its engagement with the strip, thus allowing the difficulty to be overcome.

Should it be necessary to repair any individual wire, as in case of breakage, that particular wire could be loosened up and a new piece of wire engaged with the broken eX- tremities, and the repaired wire again tightened up into place Without difficulty.

H denotes a post which may be located in any desired numbers intermediate the end posts A, O. This post is likewise preferably made of U-shaped metal, the concavo-convex faces thereof being turned at right angles to the corresponding faces of the end posts A, C. These posts H are recessed, as shown at h on their outer faces to permit the wires to enter said recesses, and whereby they are held from vertical displacement. To prevent the wires from becoming displaced from said recesses, I employ a vertical rod H passed downward on the inside of the post H, between the wires and the post, as shown. This rod effectually holds all the wires in secure engagementtherewith. Should it be desired, however, for any reason, to disengage the wires from the post H, or any one of the wires, it may readily be done by lifting the rod H. In this manner the wires may readily be removed in case it was desired to remove the fence and locate it elsewhere.

The entire fence it will be seen, is so constructed as to readily permit its being taken down and erected elsewhere, whenever desired. So, moreover, should it be desired to form a gap in the fence to allow small stock,

as sheep or hogs, to pass therethrough, one or more wires at the bottom of the fence maybe loosened up from the post 0, disengaged from its normal recess in the post H, and raised or lowered to the adjacent recess above or below and held therein by the rod H, so forming the desired gap, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. If the wire should be too taut to be raised out of the lower notch into a higher one, it can be slackened up by means of the strip B so as'to be raised as high as desired at the middle. When the gap is to be closed, the Wires are replaced in their respective notches in the post H and the slack taken up by means of the strips 13. So also another great convenience and utility in the fence will be seen, in that, should it be desired to provide a drive way from one field into another separated thereby, at any point, all the wires may readily be loosened from the post 0, to allow their being pressed down to the ground so that a team could be driven over them. This can be done, by my invention, in avery ready and expeditious manner. The posts H are held in place by means of a slide or foot piece H engaged therewith and driven into the ground a required distance. Before the wires are engaged in the recesses h of the post the slide is slipped down over the top of the post to the base and driven in. The slide is preferably constructed substantially elliptical in cross section with its edges brought together to provide it with flanges h' 7 extending longitudinally of the fence. This construction causes the slide to clamp the post very tight and when driven into the ground firmly supports the post of which it forms a part. It may be made of sheet metal, its meeting edges being riveted together as indicated as 71.

J denotes a picket which may be engaged with the wires in any desired numbers. These pickets are each constructed with recesses at j on their opposite edges to allow the wires to be alternately engaged with the picket, first on one side thereof, and then on the other side. The picket may readily he slipped in between alternate wires, the recessed edges being turn ed in a direction longitudinal with the fence in the act of inserting the picket. When passed downward with the wires passed alternately on one side and then on the other of the picket, the picket may be turned about into normal condition to engage the wires in said recesses. In this manner the pickets are held firmly in place, while they are also readily removable.

Where pickets are employed one adjacent or near to another the alternate arrangement of the wires in the recesses of the one picket may be reversed in the adjacent picket, thereby adding great firmness and strength to the fence. It will be seen that by this construction and arrangement the wires B only need to be fastened at the extremities to the end posts A and O, as they may pass freely through IIO the recesses in the posts H and pickets J so as to be readily tightened from the post C, as already specified.

My invention thus provides a strong and durable fence which may be readily erected and taken down, whereby the posts and wires may readily be tightened up and firmly held in place, and possessing other advantages herein enumerated while also it is inexpensive and simple.

What I claim as myinvention is The combination with a fence post of an independent slide or foot piece H embracing the foot of the post and adapted to be driven into the ground, said foot piece formed of In testimony whereof I sign this specifica- 25 tion in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. VAN WAGONER.

Witnesses: V L. R. MEAD,

ELLA SNIDER. 

